Fingernail stencil



.May .19, 1942. N. STEDMAN FINGER'NAJ'IL STENCIL Filed Sept. 6, 1941 Norma Te lmah INVENTOR Patented May 19, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FINGERNAIL STENCIL Norma Stedman, New York, N. Y.

Application September 6, 1941, Serial No. 409,783

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a device for use in connection with the care of the hands and more specifically to a device for assisting in the application of liquids to the halls of the hands.

In general, it is an object of the invention to provide a device of the character described, which will efficiently perform the purposes for which it is intended, which is simple and economical of construction, which can be expeditiously, conveniently and safely manipulated, and which can be readily manufactured and assembled.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device which is used when coating the nails and which prevents the coating material from being deposited on the skin and especially on the skin at the tip of the finger; to provide such a device which is not bullw or cumbersome, which, being left on the finger, does not hinder the use of the finger in many normal tasks; to provide such a device which gives the desired contours to the lacquer on the nail and yet is so light and compact that all the fingers may each have one of the devices on them simultaneously; and to provide such devices that they may be assembled and used like a glove.

The invention accordingly comprises an article of manufacture possessing the features, properties, and the relation of elements which will be exemplified in the article hereinafter described and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the claims. I

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a device embodying one form of the invention and shown on a finger; I

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the device shown in Fig. 1 and shown on a finger;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but not shown on a finger; and

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic representation of a cross-section taken along the lin 4-4 of Fig. 3.

There have been various and sundry mechanisms provided for use in applying liquids to finger and toe nails. In many instances they have been so complicated that when attached to the fingers it was impossible to manipulate the hand for any other purpose while the liquid was drying. They have been so unsatisfactory in general that they are not obtainable in the stores. The present device described below is as simple as the end of a finger of a glove. After the nail or nails have been treated with an application of enamel, say, the fingers are free to be used in many tasks.

It is difficult for one to apply nail coloring to ones own nails and especially is it hard to paint the enamel onto the nails of the right hand because the brush or other instrument has to be operated by the left hand which is usually far from dextrous. One great advantage of the present device is that it entirely covers the tip of the finger forward from a line under the exposed edge of the nailand that even when the nail does not extend beyond the tip of the finger.

In the drawing M denotes a cap or hood which is adapted to be drawn over the end of any finger like the finger of a glove. It is made of extensible and/or elastic material and preferably, when not in use, is slightly smaller than the tip of the finger on which it is to be used. The fact that it is so extensible permits the same cap to be used on the different fingers of the same hand since the extensibility takes care of differences in size between the fingers. Of course, the caps may be made in different sizes so that very large fingers as well as very small may be accommodated. The material may be rubber, although a rubberized extensible fabric may be used, and is somewhat stronger.

An opening I! is provided in the cap. It is so positioned that when the cap is on the finger at least a portion of the nail is exposed-therethrough. The forward edge of the opening is located so that it lies under the nail even though the nail is short. If the nail is long it lies for a greater distance on the surface of the cap. The rear edge of the opening may have any desired configuration. It may be adapted to register with cuticle at the base of the nail or it may be convex forwardly to provide a half-moon. The sides of the opening lie along the sides of the normally exposed part of the nail.

If desired, there may be edge-elements N attached to the cap to define sharply the side edges of the window and to assist in giving a sharp edge along which the paint may be brushed onto the nail. Each element ll may be of a plastic composition and may have a thin edge adapted to seat under the cuticle and to be drawn firmly but comfortably into that position by the elasticity of the material of the cap III.

A single cap may be placed successively on the fingers or a plurality of caps may be put respectlvely on all of the fingers at the same ti'me. When the one or more caps are on the fingers the paint or lacquer or other liquid may be applied without special care to finger tip. The exposed part of the nail is completely covered, and some of the liquid may be and usually is deposited on the cap; but no portion of the skin of the finger receives any liquid. While the liquid is drying all the fingers are available to perform almost any task and then, when the liquid has dried, the caps may be slipped ofi.

Each cap may be as long as desired. In fact, a set of caps may be attached as the ends of the fingers in a glove Those portions of a cap which do not assist in drawing the edge of the opening down tight against the cuticle or fiesh need not be of elastic or extensible material. Preferably, the material leading from one side of the opening l2 around under the finger to the other side of the opening is elastic. Where the material of the cap in general is not elastic, a piece of elastic material may be attached at one end to oneside of the opening'and at the other end to the other side of theopening and may be long enough to be drawn tightly under the finger.

Since certain changes may be made in the above article and difierent embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. 7

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: 1. A stencil for applying liquid to nails comprising a cap made of elastic material and adapted to fit over the end of a finger and provided with an opening therein positioned to register with at least a portion of the nail of a finger, the front edge o! said opening being positioned to lie under the nail to be treated and side elements along the sides of said opening and having respective edges adapted to be drawn, by the elasticity of said material, between the nail and the cuticle adjacent the side of the nail.

2, A stencil for applying liquid to nails comprising a cap made of elastic material and adapted to-fit over the end of a finger and provided with an opening therein positioned to register with at least a portion of the nail of a finger, the front edge of said opening being positioned to lie immediately under the nail to be treated.

3. A stencil for applying liquid to nails comprising a cap made of elastic material and adapted to fit against and under the end of a finger and provided with an opening therein positioned to register with at least a portion of the nail of a finger.

4. A stencil for applying liquid to nails comprising a cap made of material adapted to fit over the end of a finger and provided with an opening therein positioned to register with at least a portion of the nail of a finger, that portion of said cap which extends from one side of said opening under the finger to the other side of said opening being elastic.

NORMA S'I'EDMAN. 

